Low cost Personal Communication Services ("PCS"), which typically include wireless telephone service, paging, and digital data transmission, can succeed commercially only if several conflicting requirements are properly balanced. Among these requirements are low handset cost, low transmission power to extend battery life and permit a lighter handset, good speech quality, and high user density.
At least two forms of PCS are currently available. The first form, Digital European Cordless Telecommunications ("DECT") standard wireless telephones operate at 1880-1900 MHZ. A U.S. version of DECT, operating at 900 MHZ (ISM band) also exists, and a second U.S. version of DECT operating at 1900 MHZ, called Personal Access Communication Systems ("PACS") will be available in early 1997. In Japan, a second form of PCS with similar characteristics to DECT is available and is called the Personal Handyphone System ("PHS"). The technical parameters and capacities of these systems are known.